Containers capable of dispensing contents stored in the containers are known in the art. In certain applications, a dispenser may have a membrane that is selectively rupturable wherein upon rupture, a flowable substance can be dispensed from the container. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,490,746 and 5,664,705 disclose containers having rupturable membranes. The disclosed membranes, however, are made rupturable via score lines in the membranes. As are known in the art, score lines are weakened areas, typically formed by the removal of material. The membranes are ruptured by creating hydraulic pressure within the container where the membranes rupture along the score lines. Furthermore, in the membrane disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,705, portions of the membrane overlap one another and the membrane is not integral with the dispenser but rather separately affixed to the dispenser wall. The use of score lines provides less control over the manner in which the membrane will rupture. In addition, separately attaching a membrane to a container adds to the complexity of the manufacturing process and cost. In other embodiments, the membrane may be generally flat or planar and have a weld seam that provides for the rupturability of the membrane. Limitations in the structural configuration of the prior art rupturable membranes can restrict the operability of the membrane and the type of flowable substances that can be suitably contained and dispensed from the container.
While such containers according to the prior art, provide a number of advantageous features, they nevertheless have certain limitations. The present invention is provided to overcome certain of these limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.